Area Karen Excited for First Trip to Tarrant’s Cafe

RICHMOND, Va. — Karen Henderson, a suburban mom and Yelp’s most prolific reviewer in the Mechanicsville area from 2014 to 2016, finally has the opportunity to sample the cuisine at Tarrant’s Cafe thanks to Richmond Restaurant Week, sources confirmed Monday.

Henderson’s past culinary exploits include testing the limits of Olive Garden’s unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks with her husband Chad and their five children Taryn, Amblyn, Katlyn, Adyn, and Ralyn, as well ensuring that no fewer than three Fan restaurants have gone out of business due to undercooked asparagus. Despite these prior faux pas, Henderson was excited for her first sampling of Richmond’s downtown cuisine.

“I consider myself a foodie, but I have very specific and refined tastes,” Henderson explained before making a reservation at the restaurant for later in the week. “This place better have a really big menu with pictures of the food on it that I can point at when I order. They should also have $1 Long Island Iced Teas, like my favorite neighborhood bistro, Applebee’s. It’s very posh.”

Tarrant’s, which prides itself in its New American cuisine, local Richmond history, and carefully curated menu, is ready for the challenge. Katherine Darby, a server at the restaurant, is optimistic that they can cater to her suburb-infused taste buds.

“We see our fair share of Karens coming from the hinterlands to sample some new menus during Restaurant Week, so we’re ready for her,” she remarked, adding that the staff would be going the extra mile to accommodate her entire family.

“We just make sure she’s occupied, has a coloring book for the kids, and sometimes we’ll provide an iPad with episodes of The Real Housewives of Dayton, Ohio to calm them down. It’s a flawless system.”

Henderson has reassured reporters that she doesn’t expect all the bells and whistles of a chain restaurant, but she did note something that stood out while researching the menu: “I’m a bit worried that I’m not seeing any chicken tenders on this fixed price menu thing, but I’ll ask to speak to the manager about that when I get there. I’m sure they can figure it out.”